Money, anxiety, and freedom

Most of our worries and troubles originate from money problems. I have read books and magazines on how to become financially stable/independent. I have also listened to countless financial advisers and gurus on YouTube and TV to find the road to financial freedom. From these wasted hours, I have boiled everything down to this list:

1. Too little or too much money = pathology. Extremely rich and extremely poor people are prone to get into similar troubles (e.g., drugs, self-inflicted diseases, mental problems, crime, etc.). 

2. However, it is also possible for money to equal freedom, except for the obsessed with money people, for whom money equals slavery (there is no a wealth limit that is satisfactory to such people). 

3. The best way to make money is to become an entrepreneur. The perfect case is when your business is also your passion. 

4. You could be financially stable, and even financially independent, as an employee, if your salary is good, and you are prudent about spending and wise about investing. 

5. If you do not know anything about investing, it seems that it is best to invest in stable companies that pay dividends.
 
All other financial advice is maddening, since the “gurus” calculate that you and I will work for 40+ years, and promise that we will achieve a consistent 7% return on our investments from now on! The reality is that very few of us would like to work until age of 65, and the stock market will not bring anything close to a 7% return in the future.
If we go back to the anxiety part in our financial situation, I like Chip Conley’s formula:

        Anxiety = [powerlessness] x [uncertainty]

According to this formula, one can tackle anxiety by acquiring at least a smidgen of power (in this case, by saving like crazy) and eliminating some uncertainty by putting together a series of plans for financial stability (plan A, B, C, etc., since at least in my case, plan A is rarely achievable).
 
How to accomplish this? I found useful leads and inspiration in the blog of Mr. Money Mustache, a guy who retired at age of 30, and now advises hopeful retiree-wannabes on how to accomplish the same. The study of financial independence is in fact a quest for happiness, according to his philosophy, which is briefly summarized in this YouTube talk: Mr. Money Mustache Interview - Early Retirement Made Easy.